Why are chef's knives wide?
I understand that a western style of blade is meant to fix the point and chop behind it while a santoku is intended to slice with.
I also find the width somewhat useful for carrying cropped ingredients around. But what is the main purpose of the blade vastness? Why not skinny(following image but curved)?
Best Answer
There are a few advantages:
- A wider knife makes it easier to have more curve at the tip, which is important for a style of chopping in which you rock the blade back and forth quickly
- The weight of the material helps to cut through things when you blade is sufficiently sharp— you lift the blade, then guide it down, rather than trying to forcibly push it down (which is more dangerous if it slips)
- It moves where the center of balance is
- It allows for a knife to have a longer life, as you’re removing a little bit of it very time it’s sharpened
Obviously, you can have a more saber-like design, and still have the curve, but without the weight of the blade, it’s more difficult to chop. And you can add more weight at the bolster to keep it from getting too tip-heavy.
But if you have a store that sells knives near you, ask to try out a ‘carving knife’. It’s shaped similarly to a chef’s knife, but lacks the height. If you’re mostly slicing and not chopping, you may prefer it.
(Note that some people sometimes call slicers carving knives, but those have a perfectly straight blade, and are typically rounded at the tip)
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Quick Answer about "Why are chef's knives wide?"
Chef knives have a wide blade that tapers to a point. This point is suitable for a number of prep tasks, such as chopping, mincing, and slicing.Why is the chef knife shaped the way it is?
Drop-Point Shaped Chef's Knife The shape evolved so that the knife can efficiently perform the rocking motion used in chopping, where you bring the knife blade down to the food starting at the tip and rolling it to the heel. The tip of the knife doesn't leave the cutting board.What is the wide section of a knife used for?
5 The wide flat surface of the blade can be used for flattening and shaping of meat cuts such as filets as well as for lifting of the chopped product.Why Being a Chef Is Harder Than You Think!
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Answer 2
The wide and long blades of western and santoku can BOTH be used for both slicing and chopping. The main difference between the two of them is the tip.
Slim/skinny blades enable them to slide through the foodstuff with reduced drag and greater mobility for turning within a foodstuff (eg. breaking down a carcass, or filleting a fish).
On the other hand, wide blades provide greater stability and balance required for safe fast and precise processing of foods using chopping and slicing techniques.
Both of these can be evidenced by trying to fillet a fish or breaking down a cow, and by chopping food. If one tries to fillet a fish with a chef knife then they should notice considerably more drag preventing fast and efficient processing, conversely if one tries to quickly slice a large food item with a filleting knife then they will find the food catching as the knife is repeatedly raised in quick succession with each slice, and lack of consistency with the precision of slice thickness.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Mikhail Nilov, Mikhail Nilov, Sheku Mans, Aleksandar Djordjevic